Poll: Lets rank the Treliving/Burke 2014 draft

[Poe969]

We got potentially the best player in the draft with Bennett. Who cares about the rest, if they work out then good, if not then oh well.

Just wish there were more deals.

[Miniac]

We got Bennett and that's all I care about too. The rest.. ill let you know in a few years.

[Southside]

Getting Bennett is great. He will be a player. From there on it didn't quite go as expected, sure. But, I think it will be alright. In the last few years we injected a good deal of skill and smarts. With this draft it seems we injected some size and grit (including the trade). Creating some balance? I saw the need to add a goaltender to the system again, didn't expect it to happen at 34, but, trust the scouts.

[Lanny_McDonald]

Bennett was a home run - 10/10

After that:

McDonald (8/10) - I was hoping for a right handed defenseman, but grabbing the best goaltending prospect in the draft is never a bad thing.

Smith (10/10) - This was the guy I was hoping the Flames would pick and they did not disappoint. Huge with good hands and showed a major improvement this season. He's a riser, not a faller, and that is always good to see when you pick a big kid.

Hickey (5/10) - Was hoping for a defenseman who shot right. Looks like a good enough kid, but appears to be more of a long term prospect. Like that he is compared to TJ Brodie. Give me a team of TJ Brodies.

Bollig acquisition (7/10) - If it means the end of Westgarth, then 10/10! You look for guys that make the team better and stronger, even on the 4th line. Bollig comes from a winner and contributed to that team greatly. The 4th line punishing guys in the first half of the game makes it harder on those guys later in the game. Gives room to your smaller and skilled players to do their thing and win games. Very good move!

Mattsson (9/10) - When you get a guy ranked 50th at this pick, what is not to like? My only concern is that I don't like to pick fallers. He dropped a long ways. Hopefully he works out because he's big and is supposedly smart.

Carroll (10/10) - Big guy on the RW that scores? What is not to like? If any of the other names called after him make the NHL, then you can bitch and complain about how the Flames wasted a draft pick.

Overall 8/10

Pretty happy because they addressed a few needs in the organization. Got another great center. Got the best goaltender available in the draft. Got a couple of huge RWers!!! Nothing is guaranteed, but I like this draft. I think we did better than we did in 2012, and that was a pretty good draft for the Flames too.

[nemanja2306]

I love the Smith pick. Even if he tops out as a 3rd line winger, he still fits an organizational need. Big RW to play with one of our plethora of small LW. Plus, with his size and strength, I think he might actually be a viable option on the PP. I could see him hiting 40pts.

[Red John]

Originally Posted by saXon

Those numbers don't quite add up.

None of the numbers do.

Nothing funnier than seeing posters giving number grades to players they've only ever read about or watched a 5 minute highlight clip on YouTube.

Especially the later round picks. It's one thing not to like a certain player or what not. But to assign grades as if you've scouted the player all year long...pathetic.

Can't wait for the inevitable "who were the winners and losers" thread.

[FlamesAddiction]

Bennett pretty much fell to us, so it's hard to give him credit for that. It's good that he didn't go reaching I suppose, but would be like saying Poile hit a homerun by selecting Jones last year. It was a no-brainer at that point.

As for the rest of the picks, I don't know much about them. I think there were a few good choices at #34. I didn't know anything about Poirier last year and wouldn't change that pick at this point, so I will wait and see with McDonald.

Hunter seems like a bit of a project, but that is what picks past the first 40 or so are good for.

I have no opinion on the other picks.

The Bollig acquisition is a minor annoyance for me, but it isn't going to make or break the day.

I give them a B.

[IgiTang]

Originally Posted by Caged Great

Bennett was a home run.

After that

McDonald - 6/10
Smith - 2/10
Hickey - 5/10
Bollig acquisition - 0/10
Mattsson - 8/10
Carroll - 0/10

2nd and beyond - 6/10
Overall 8/10

Sorry bud but Carroll 0/10 with a 7th rounder. You've lost quite a bit of cred in my books.

After the 1st pick, some questionable acquisitions but I like the thought process behind them.

[Mightyfire89]

Originally Posted by Red John

None of the numbers do.

Nothing funnier than seeing posters giving number grades to players they've only ever read about or watched a 5 minute highlight clip on YouTube.

Especially the later round picks. It's one thing not to like a certain player or what not. But to assign grades as if you've scouted the player all year long...pathetic.

Can't wait for the inevitable "who were the winners and losers" thread.

Yeah, I especially like the 0/10 grades for Austin Carroll. How silly.

[Husky]

Not sure how they can get credit for Bennett. IMO its an easy pick to make plus they didn't move up etc to strategically take him.

The rest of the draft picks I feel on first impression was fairly poor.

[Parallex]

I'd have to grade it as a "C". Made the obvious "A" pick in the first round and I like Hickey and the big Swede... YMMV but I feel like they wasted the others.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by IgiTang

Sorry bud but Carroll 0/10 with a 7th rounder. You've lost quite a bit of cred in my books.

After the 1st pick, some questionable acquisitions but I like the thought process behind them.

I think some people feel he could have just been signed as a free agent after the draft. He is from Calgary, came to the development camp last year, and is an overager in junior. It seems like there would be a good chance the Flames could have signed him..

The 7th rounder could have been used on a long shot "you never know" type of prospect. But of course there is a chance another team would sign Carroll. Personally, I would have liked the try signing him as a free agent.

[Read Only]

9/10

Loved the Bennett pick, would have preferred McKeown but like McDonald, loved the Smith pick, the Bollig trade was fine and made sense, all the late picks seem fine.

Didn't do anything I didn't like although would have liked to see some vets move but still time for that over the summer.

Good first impression from Trevilling as GM.

[Bandwagon In Flames]

Still can't believe Bennett fell to us. Thank you Drais for publicly saying you want to be an Oiler. Both will be great players, but Bennett is the guy we really need in the system.

If it was noted as a weak draft then I don't mind drafting the first goalie early.

Not going to pretend I've seen these later picks play, but from what I've read Smith was a great pick, especially at that position.

Bollig for a late 3rd isn't the end of the world. As was mentioned, he can better replace Westgarth.

8/10

[dammage79]

In a simplistic manner, 10/10.

They used their picks to address glaring needs in the organization.

RW? Check
G? Check
D? Check x2
High end Center? That's a big 10-4!

Size? Oh yeah.
Truculence? Yep x2 (Bollig, Smith)

Sure they didn't take players off of CP's board but they did make the picks necessary to address their needs. That's all I could ask for.

As for guys I am really pumped on? McDonald, sounds like he'll be a contender for the WJC starters role this year, good move.

Smith. Big, greasy RW who has some good upside, no quams here.

Hickey, after listening to Button on the Fan, says one of the best skaters in this draft, plays sound D, will be interesting to see if he ends up being Brodie 2.0.

Mattson, Really really happy with this pick in the 6th, U-17 Swedens Captain, open to coming over to CHL. Buton loves his leadership qualities and IQ. Great value on a 6th round pick. Could be the steal of this draft.

[Caged Great]

Originally Posted by IgiTang

Sorry bud but Carroll 0/10 with a 7th rounder. You've lost quite a bit of cred in my books.

I've watched Carroll before and he wasn't notable at all. Of the walk ons last year, he was near the bottom of the pack, only Linden Penner was definitively worse among the forward group. All things being equal, I would've rather drafted a big D-man like Nick Wolf with the 7th.

[Rhettzky]

Love getting Bennett and Bollig. Have no clue about the other guys but would rate the CP draft drama as 8.5/10. Would bang.

[Lanny_McDonald]

Originally Posted by Red John

Nothing funnier than seeing posters giving number grades to players they've only ever read about or watched a 5 minute highlight clip on YouTube.

My numbers were not based on the performance or potential of the player, but that of the GM. I thought we were rating that performance, not the player?

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by Rhettzky

Love getting Bennett and Bollig. Have no clue about the other guys but would rate the CP draft drama as 8.5/10. Would bang.

[Bandwagon In Flames]

Originally Posted by Husky

Not sure how they can get credit for Bennett. IMO its an easy pick to make plus they didn't move up etc to strategically take him.

The rest of the draft picks I feel on first impression was fairly poor.

How is this a bad thing? Sometimes it's the moves not made that you need to give management credit for.

It was confirmed the Flames were looking into swapping for 2nd pick. Seems they did their research and knew Bennett would likely fall to them.

Perhaps if Florida had traded their pick and Ekblad wasn't taken 1st overall, the Flames would of moved up.